My alarm goes off at…
…I don’t need an alarm these days; I have a five-month-old who dictates what time my day starts — and it’s usually pretty early!
I wanted to work in the mortgage industry because…
…I’d love to tell you that, while other children were dreaming of being astronauts or footballers, I dreamed of working in the mortgage industry, but it probably won’t come as a surprise that this wasn’t the case.
Like many I fell into the industry, but I am happy I did. Attitudes towards homeownership are evolving, but helping people buy homes, particularly first homes, feels good to be involved with.
Something that surprised me about my job was…
…before I joined the Teachers Building Society, I had no idea that, as recently as the 1960s, getting a mortgage was difficult for single women and men in low-paying jobs (such as teaching). Learning that women had needed a male guarantor to get a mortgage genuinely surprised me.
I have the space and time to focus on the things that matter, the things that will make a difference
But fortunately that surprise turned to pride when I learned I’d joined an organisation that had openly rebelled against these unfair practices. It was the society’s founding principle to lend to any young teacher who wanted to buy a home, regardless of gender.
We had this policy before the 1975 Sex Discrimination Act, giving us genuine social purpose, which is probably a key factor in why so many value-driven agencies like to work with us.
A misconception about my role is…
…people probably think I don’t get my ‘hands dirty’ — I do.
Every other day, I join my marketing communications team for ‘12 minutes at 12’ for a social and business catch-up, to ensure we work closely despite being geographically separate
I get stuck in with the team. I go out and about to meet brokers to hear what they need from us. I help review individual cases for a solution. And I work closely with my marketing communications team on creative and content.
My typical day entails…
…we’re a relatively small society, currently undertaking a major transformation project while delivering strong trading in a market that’s seen a fair share of volatility over the past six months. So every day is varied for me.
It was the society’s founding principle to lend to any young teacher who wanted to buy a home, regardless of gender
Reviewing our daily business performance in light of the market context, and assessing and responding to opportunities and risks in our lending and funding spaces are essential.
I spend a portion of each day engaging with colleagues; plus, every other day, I join my marketing communications team for ‘12 minutes at 12’ for a social and business catch-up, to ensure we work closely despite being geographically separate.
Like many I fell into the industry, but I am happy I did. Helping people buy homes, particularly first homes, feels good to be involved with
I also have a catch-up most days with what I like to think of as my extended team — people at organisations we partner with who support the society, which includes everyone from mortgage platforms to advertising partners.
A perk of the job is…
…just being able to get things done.
My team and I have delivered some big things, from an innovative social idea to new mortgage products, at short notice because we don’t have excessively complex internal structures to go through to get things done.
Learning that women had needed a male guarantor to get a mortgage genuinely surprised me
I have the space and time to focus on the things that matter, the things that will make a difference, and with that comes the reward of making changes that impact our borrowers, savers, intermediaries and the future of the society.
My favourite work memory is…
…I look back proudly on how I joined Teachers Building Society. A three-month contract to support a specific piece of work turned into a place at the executive table in a short time, and I haven’t looked back.
To unwind after work, I…
…it’s maybe not everyone’s idea of unwinding but for the past two years I’ve split my free time between managing a house build and being back at university in Loughborough.
People probably think I don’t get my ‘hands dirty’ — I do
Of course, I also sneak in the odd beer or two at my favourite beachside bar!
This article featured in the June 2023 edition of MS.
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